1:4b Dempsey and Makepeace Scoring
by haveunotthought
Summary: An episode set after "Given to Acts of violence" with a bit of banter and flirting - episodes you didn't know you'd missed
1. First Challenge

**So I thought I'd put this teaser up - the rest will probably come as one or at the most two chapters. I honestly thought I'd not write again but I watched some episodes of The Professionals and remembered Michael saying he thought some of the Dempsey and Makepeace scripts were left overs! So I've taken an episode and adapted it; this way I don't have to think of a plot just their interactions. But if you like I'll finish this one and write a few more. I can pick where to place each episode so I've started after 'Given to acts of violence'**

"He was a good guy – _Frazer"_ Dempsey reflected, "I liked him. We had a few beers when I first arrived then Spikings sent him undercover on that drugs deal. You ever partnered him Makepeace?"

Dempsey and Makepeace were leaving the hospital

"Well he wouldn't be able to be seen with the likes of you Dempsey" Makepeace pointed out in her prim and proper diction.

"Likes of me!" Dempsey objected "Hey do I look like a cop?"

"Well now you come to mention it I've seen dealers who'd look more comfortable in a uniform than you"

"Depends which uniform babe" Dempsey drew a small cigar from his pocket as they reached the the exit corridor. Harry decided to ignore the babe comment – objecting thus far had made not an iota of a difference. "Do you do uniforms?" Dempsey asked his partner salaciously "I bet you'd look good as a nurse, ...or a waitress..." Dempsey paused in thought "You were a pretty hot looking babe as a bar maid" he concluded.

"I did my bit on the beat when I joined the Force" Harry justified as she pushed the main hospital doors open "I didn't just walk into this job you know"

"Maybe..." Dempsey started

"..NO" Harry jumped in before anything could be voiced, she was sure Dempsey had travelled somewhere in his mind and that made her blush.

Dempsey noticed the flushed cheeks and smiled contentedly. "Anyway" he said "Frazer was a good bloke and we owe him" Harry passed Dempsey her car keys as his hand clasped the drivers' door, his American habit not remotely fading away after several months in England. He took the keys pointing out that it would take them longer if he drove as he sauntered around to the passenger door, letting himself in before he leaned across and opened the drivers' door for Makepeace and passed the keys back to her.

In his inner office back at SI10 Spikings was convinced the tape would wear out the number of times either Dempsey or Makepeace re-wound the recording of Frazers' last phone call. "Damn Frazer" Spikings sat back "I wonder what he had seen? It definitely wasn't related to operation SweetBill"

"Well he didn't realise his cover was blown" Dempsey reasoned

"What's that noise?" Harry asked "That clunking and banging? It's happening in the background of where he made the phone call from"

"Has to be a 3 mile radius from the meet as he only had 15 minutes to get there" Spikings contributed

Dempsey sat there clicking his fingers at every clunk he heard. "Not all the same time timing" Harry reflected "and some louder than others. Do we know where his main undercover haunts were?"

Chas returned to the inner office "Frazer will be in surgery for the next few hours. These were found in his pockets" he produced some paper slips. Dempsey took them and Harry glanced over his shoulder.

"TEN PIN BOWLING" they said together in triumph "and look it's got the name of the Alley – Forum Bowls – whatya know" Dempsey said leaping to his feet "let's go partner"

"Wait" Harry stood but didn't move "What's the plan?"

"We go stake out the bowling alley" Dempsey stated "obviously! You do play don't you Makepeace?"

"I'll raise your spare to my strike" Harry challenged as she led the way out of the SI10 office.


	2. Balls

"Of course we had skittles and crown bowls before you sullied our games" Harry pointed out as she pushed through the doors into the fluorescent lit arena. Dempsey squished his lips and chewed on his cheek briefly ignoring what he didn't know. "I bet you're a dab hand with the bed posts Makepeace"

"And you're a dab hand between them Lieutenant I assume?"

Dempsey considered the impossibility of getting both of those side pins... "depends which bedposts babe – I can show you some later if you'd like..."

Harry rolled her eyes and looked around the Bowling Alley. They both stood and scanned the lanes to their left, the small cafe area to the right and the two pool tables ahead "Can you see anyone acting suspiciously Dempsey?" she asked re focusing her mind and hopefully his.

Dempsey looked around: there was a hippy playing by him, an older guy still with his trench coat on wandering slowly around, a girl looking out of the window by the pool table – agitated, a couple of couples playing together, a group of 5 lads playing and eating cheeseburgers, two pretty girls in lane 8 and at the far end what looked like a professional guy practising by himself scoring strike after strike in a monotonous rhythm "You know who looks suspicious Tinkerbell?" Dempsey asked rhetorically – "US!" He swooped his arm in a semicircle inviting as he spoke "come on, let's play –", he smiled "now you're gonna have to tell me what size shoes you need sergeant"

So Makepeace took a dainty size 4, Dempsey put his shoes next to hers at the table of lane 3. Satisfied he simply pointed out that his were bigger. Makepeace smiled mischievously and picked up his shoe; glancing at the number 9 blazoned on the back of the heel she grinned wickedly and dismissively passed comment as she dropped the shoe back down "average size".

Dempsey frowned as he tried to work out the point Harry had obviously thought she'd won. The eye brows raised on the face starring into his and his frown deepened. "Ahhhh NO!" he insisted with panic over his face as the implication dawned... "That saying ain't true"

"Really lieutenant? It's a very common saying – must have some truth surely" she goaded

Dempsey leaned right over her and whispered in her ear "I'm happy to show you sergeant – any time you want proof" he puckered his lips "Anytime" Harry glanced down towards his crotch; god she knew the saying wasn't true – she didn't need any more proof!

"Excuse me have you got the time?" the agitated girl with lanky mid length hair pulled back into a ponytail interrupted them. Annoyed that a rare brief closeness to his partner had been curtailed Dempsey glanced up at the clock above the shoe desk. "Nine o'clock love" he replied as Makepeace made her escape and hid her blushes by putting on the shoes, burying her face almost in her knees.  
s she tied the second lace a dark haired middle aged man staggered from the men's toilets towards the exit. He didn't make it, collapsing some 10 feet away from the door. Dempsey and Makepeace ran towards him and helped him to his feet.

Sweaty and disorientated Makepeace reassured him they had a car outside and would take him straight to the hospital whilst Dempsey noted his dilated pupils and cold skin. The nose knew something didn't add up and the immediate attempts from the manager and the pro bowler to wrestle the target out of their care, albeit verbal wrestling and not physical, put the SI10 duo on full alert. Throwing him into the back of the Granada, Makepeace drove to the nearest A+E. Dempsey, Makepeace had to admit, had a way of throwing his badge in peoples' faces and so the chief medical doctor was now taking personal care of the mystery man.

Spikings jumped out of the car Dave had driven down as the duo were exiting the hospital for the second time that day. He glanced at the red and blue bowling shoes on Harry's feet and raised his brow. "This is staking out the Bowling Alley" Spikings gruffed "Only no one's there right now Sergeant" "This could be our only lead" Harry defended. Spikings nodded "take Dave with you he commanded – we can't afford to leave that place unmanned."

"Yo" Dempsey called back as Spikings walked into the hospital "There's something wrong with that guy chief" Spikings stopped and looked back with distain "I hope there is if you rushed him here, bludgeoning doctors and abandoning your stake out Lieutenant"  
"I mean" Dempsey continued never bothering to point out the myriad of faults in Spikings rational "It's fishy – the docs can't make sense of it – the guys cold but sweating..."  
"You get back there Lieutenant – I'll deal with here" Spikings interrupted.

Harry tossed her keys to Dave – "You know the way to the Forum Bowling Alley don't you? she checked. Dave nodded, Dempsey jumped in the passenger seat and Harry sat behind.  
"So why did our guy have £5K in bank notes and what did he mean by 'swallows'?" Dempsey pondered "Do you think we should have mentioned that to the boss?" Harry suddenly voiced out loud, cursing inwardly how Dempsey seemed to be having such a negative impact on both her policing and team skills.  
"No time" Dempsey replied "you heard him – we need to get back fast." He looked to Dave still pulling out of the car park "Fast Dave" he agitated "get that foot down"

Dave pulled up alongside the main entrance to the forum, Harry and James jumped out "Wait here!" Dempsey instructed a bemused driver  
"We'll call you if we need you" Harry reassured in her sugary manner  
"Yeah – if you're good we'll send a cola out" Dempsey added

Back inside their path to lane 3 at the further end from the door was blocked by the girl with the lanky hair. Her blue dress had seen better days and shoes had worn down heels. "Please what's the time now" she begged. Dempsey pointed his finger "just what it says up there darling"  
She looked up "It ain't always right" she protested and slumped off as she lit a cigarette

Harry picked up a blue 12lb bowling bowl from the rack at the back of the alleys and, walking past Dempsey and the time desperate girl, rolled her eyes towards the 3 balls already along the joint return chute of lanes 3 and 4 "Do you want me to check your balls Dempsey?"

"My balls need careful handling" Dempsey winked "but probably not right here right now sergeant"  
Harry winced inwardly, cursing how Dempsey managed to twist every innocent conversation "I've got one a bit bigger than the other" Dempsey declared with delight as he rolled those on the chute noting both 14 and 16lb balls  
"No worries" Harry flirted "I've got expertise at getting my fingers around a whole range of sizes"  
Dempsey became aware of his body responding once again to his partner and chided himself.

Harry sat down to type their names on the screen display calling herself simply H and Dempsey J – well she didn't like Jim and he never seemed to call himself James. Dempsey took first turn, 5 pins dropped followed by another 2. Makepeace took 3 and then the other 7 as she settled her eye in. She turned to check Dempsey's reaction to her spare but his eye was far to left on the agitated girl about to light up yet another cigarette.  
Dempsey jerked his attention back and his next turn resulted in those dreaded two outside pins remaining up. "Seems I've got the bedposts ready" he quipped as his fancy 2nd attempt ended with a ball trundling down the gutter.  
"And not much else" Makepeace added cuttingly.  
"Give me a chance" he protested tipping his gaze to the two women coming to the end of their game; but his chances were abruptly curtailed when the time girl appeared to be making a beeline back to lane 3.  
"Think you'd better do your bit with _Jumpy_ _Jane_ " Harry nodded and waved him off dismissively "best take care of your balls though..."

Dempsey walked forward, collecting _Jumpy_ _Jane_ and scooping her towards side door, and out to the back where 3 of the lads were having a crafty smoke of something that smelt suspiciously like weed.  
With his arm around her waist Dempsey introduced himself as James and discovered that _Jumpy_ _Jane_ was in fact Christine who worked as a dental nurse on Western Road.  
"Do you bowl every Thursday?" Dempsey asked "I mean is this a regular place I can find you?"  
Christine didn't answer she just launched herself into a full on lip kiss which Dempsey found himself rather inclined to reject. "Is that what you want?" she checked  
"Is that what you're offering?" Dempsey pushed her away from his face  
"Twenty quid?" she asked meekly  
"You need help sweetheart" Dempsey kept his gaze fixed on her "You make a lousy hooker – I hope you're better with teeth"  
"I just need the money" she defended  
"You just need help sweetheart" Dempsey's gaze bore into her "Don't they pay you enough?"  
She looked vacant; Dempsey pushed up her sleeve and noted the expected needle marks "so you were waiting for your dealer!" Dempsey accused  
"He's not a dealer" Christine protested  
"He sells you drugs then he's a dealer!"  
"He's not a dealer" she insisted  
"Well he's not a friend" Dempsey hissed fiercely "What's his name?" he squeezed her arms hard and hurt her  
"Jonny"  
"Jonny who?"- Dempsey kept the pressure up and the 3 lads decided that inside seemed a better prospect  
"He's not a dealer" Christine repeated  
"What's his name" Dempsey repeated "Jonny who?"  
Christine struggled with recall, her need for a fix clouding everything "Frazer?" she questioned "was it Frazer?"  
"John Frazer!" Dempsey released her momentarily "John Frazer was your guy?"  
"Yes" relieved to be out of the pincer tight grasp Christine rubbed her arms only to be shook by the shoulders  
"You spoke to him tonight?"  
"He told me he would late" she spluttered  
"What exactly did he say" Dempsey demanded relentlessly vaguely aware that Makepeace wasn't there to temper his aggression  
"I don't know" was the protest but with a hope to get free she offered "something about swallows?"  
Desperation drove her next question "Do you want to come back to mine? I still need the money for a fix?"  
"Don't worry" Dempsey's tone was not really reassuring at all "You can come back to mine!" He frog marched her around the outside of the building to Dave, opening the door and instructing Dave that 'She's been the last person to speak to Fraser alive, and to be sure she was still alive when he delivered her to Spikings.'


	3. Codpiece

_**Thank you for all the reviews and those who have read without reviewing (don't worry I do that too). Your attention is much appreciated either way. This is the end of would would have been 1 episode. I may do more but it takes much more time than I have available so we'll see. If i do it will be another two chapter thing like this that covers a random episode that you've never actually watched.**_

On his entrance back inside for the third time the manager approached him quite boldly "So what happened to the gentleman you took to the hospital?" he enquired "did he live?"  
"He was alive when we left him" Dempsey spoke cautiously "Why? Does it bother you?"  
"Someone gets sick on our premises of course I want to know he's well"  
Dempsey had to concede a point, he looked over towards lane 3 noting that Harry had attracted both the pro and the hippy – he scratched his head at the strange combination.

Harry had found herself in her own strange set of circumstances; the pro guy had jumped at the opportunity afforded by Dempsey's disappearance to invite the leggy blonde in a tight skirt that showed a perfect arse to play with him. The hippy guy had launched into a discrimination protest because he'd been turned down by the same pro on the basis that he needed to practise the game alone. Harry had suggested all three should play together but felt mightily relieved at the return of her partner. The pro had also been probing Harry about the same sick guy, but she'd just protested she had been a _Good Samaritan_ and the reappearance of Dempsey saw him scuttle back to his own lane. "Excuse me" Dempsey had elbowed his way to pick up a ball roughly past the unlikely looking hippy "but I don't think you'll be needing any of those"

"You all think you can laugh at me, ignore me, but you'll see – we have rights too" he protested as he returned back to his own original lane.  
"Seems you scored twice Sergeant" Dempsey obsrerved  
"Seems to me like I fell in the gutter" Harry groaned  
Dempsey sympathised as he looked around and then suggested "Let's get food"  
"Good idea partner" Harry looked across to the cafe area "only I don't think they have food here"  
"Sure they do" Dempsey looked in the same direction "look they got hamburgers and hot dogs" he nodded  
"But that's not food"  
"Watch me" Dempsey drew a fiver from his back pocket "2 cheese burgers and two cokes"  
He passed one to Harry who took the burger in one hand, the coke in the other but made absolutely no attempt to partake of either. Dempsey placed his cola on a table and bit into the burger "This is the food of the kings" he acclaimed as his second bite saw more than half the bun gone.  
"No wonder America has a President!"  
"Our President eats like a king!" Dempsey protested  
"Well in that case you can eat this one too" Harry waved the foul smelling wrapped parcel in front of his nose. Dempsey did not object, simply demolishing his own and taking hers.  
"You seriously can't call that food" Makepeace protested  
"I suppose we should send something out to Dave" Dempsey remembered – "you think he's back yet?"

The lads had finished their game and were now congregated around the pool tables, three pretty young girls dressed to look sporty in their miniskirts were occupied with parading back and forth selecting balls and giggling than trying to knock a pin or two down. Harry knew they had caught her partners attention; the munching and slurping had ceased! She hoped his tongue wasn't hanging out, dear god she dare not look. Thus Harry's gaze was drawn towards the guy still wearing his coat! She remembered seeing him earlier and assumed he was either just leaving or arriving but now that seemed just odd. She elbowed Dempsey and still looking forward she spoke under her breath "the guy with the coat on at 2 o'clock" Simultaneously their new interest deftly opened his coat a little wider and took stealth shots of the girls.

Dempsey's last remnant of burger and bun was on the floor, his cola did manage to stabilise on the table as Harry collected the secret photographer by his left arm and Dempsey his right and they walked him – well a version of dragging and frog marching – straight out to where Dave had pulled up some 60 seconds earlier.

Dempsey opened the car door and pushed their suspect in. Harry tossed the camera on the front seat "Show these to Spikings"  
"I'm not a bloody taxi driver" Dave protested  
"No" agreed Dempsey "Taxi drivers get paid! Now be real nice to our photographer and get his photos developed for him"  
"Tony Green from Vice is a good contact" Harry suggested helpfully "only we've got a stake out and Spikings says we're not allowed to leave"

On their second game 'H' was annoyed: on her 2nd, 3rd and 4th turns she had achieved 3 spares in a row, but Dempsey had just got the first strike of the game. Harry frustratingly managed her own bed posts on her next turn and Dempsey took another strike; a boring 7 followed next on Harry's part and Dempsey took some time choosing his ball. He posed with it held in front of his face "I'll raise you your chicken to my turkey Makepeace"  
"Always bigger" Harry groaned  
"Always better Sergeant"  
"Always confident Lieutenant"  
"With good reason" Dempsey turned and launched the ball it curved to the right and spun back towards the centre as he took his third strike "Turkey!" he claimed triumphantly  
"How very American" Harry uttered

Back in the SI10 office Chas brought the photos from the rushed developing to Spikings "Thought you might like to see these Sir" he said as he placed 3 photos on the desk in the inner office.  
Spikings snatched up the second photo, ignoring the shapely blurred legs from some girls earlier in the evening "Skinner?" he double checked with Chas  
"Thought you'd like to know" Chas confirmed  
"What is Edward Skinner doing at the Forum?" Spikings asked  
Chas shrugged his shoulders  
"Get me George Robinson on the phone" Spikings instructed Chas but before Chas had a chance to dial Spikings appeared "He'll be at his club- I'll take these and see him there " Spikings shrugged his coat on "Wait here for further instructions" he instructed.  
George Robinson flinched at the sight of legs filling most of the photo that was flashed onto the table next to his brandy glass. "Eddie Skinner" Spikings challenged "Why was he at the Forum?"  
"I'm not discussing undercover work here" Robinson hissed  
"Well let's go somewhere where you can"  
"What's your problem Gordon?" George Robinson moved towards a private boxed area

"I lost a man there today" Spikings replied "John Fraser, a top detective"  
"We've met" Robinson recalled "– a good man"  
"Yes and he led me to the Forum but left me no clue so what's going down?" Spikings demanded  
"Not so much" Robinson explained "The owner is a bit of a white rights activist for the South Africans, keeps threatening to 'make a mark' but he's got no income and only a few supporters"  
"These supporter – who are they?"  
"Two of them worked for the nuclear energy program but we've not found anything else yet – It's early days"  
"Early days!" Spikings repeated sarcastically when abruptly _Nuclear_ clicked in his head "Nuclear in the hands of the ignorant... where can I use a phone?"

The owner called time and Dempsey and Makepeace lingered back watching as each person handed in their shoes. The lads had already got their trainers back on and to the disappointment of the girls had scarpered without as much as a nod or a wink. The pro guy had his own kit and seemed very happy to get out as soon as possible, the couples queued patiently and finally Dempsey put two pair of shoes on the bar "I was thinking of coming here regular like" he proposed "Do you have a club or something?"  
"We have a team that plays in the North London League" but then realising that the Yank moight want to join added "but we're not recruiting"  
Do they have a ladies team? Harry asked sweetly  
The presence of a woman did an awful lot to reassure the owner that the Yankee must be harmless "we don't" he smiled "but I think the Pit stop in Ealing Broadway has one"  
"Thank you" Harry continued to smile and looking at Dempsey suggested that "we could try there next time honey"  
"That's not so easy to get to" Dempsey pointed out obtusely and turning his attention back to the manager asked "what's the team name? The one in the league I mean?"  
"The Swallows" came the information from the hippy guy that seemed to have been lost out the back for the past half hour at least  
"The Swallows" Dempsey repeated "We'll have to look out for them in paper"  
"You've got to fit to join" the Hippy bemoaned  
"You need to be good" the owner corrected in self defence  
"Hey I got a turkey" Dempsey protested indignantly but the only reaction was the lane lights being turned out.  
Taking the hint the two officers exited and slung their backs to the wall just left of the door

Spikings rang the hospital who were no further forward in the diagnosis of the sick man. He drummed impatiently on the table with his forefinger as switchboard tried to track down the chief medical officer.  
"I'm very sorry but as my colleague said we're no further forward..."  
Spikings interrupted "Could it be nuclear poisoning – you know plutonium or radium or something?"  
The doctor paused and then hesitantly agreed "It could be, the symptoms would match but isn't that rather unlikely?"  
"Unfortunately it seems not" Spikings replied  
"So my patient was paid five grand for handling a radioactive material..."  
Spikings became alert "Five what did you just say?"  
"He had a wodge of notes totalling £5K" came the information "That American dealt with it"  
"DEMPSEY!" despite being nowhere near a riled Spikings hung up abruptly and turned his wrath on those in the room "It would seem that your activist that has no money and no clout George" Spikings picked up the photo of Skinner " has just enough money to buy himself some spent nuclear waste which has been passed on under the nose of your man" Spikings poked at the image repeatedly "I suggest we get the area cordoned off and evacuated" He pulled his coat on again "Better get the home secretary on the phone I have no idea how big an area we need to evacuate"

Dempsey kicked his right foot back against the wall, standing on just his left leg his slowly took a small cigar from his top pocket and lit it. "Was that a bum steer Harry?" he asked without looking at her.  
"Well" Harry pulled her handbag up onto her shoulder again "We saved a life"  
"And I sorted the drug girl"  
"And we cleared the place of the sleazy old man taking photos" Harry added  
"So all in all it's a lot safer for tomorrows cliental" Dempsey concluded "But as for finding out why Fraser died" Dempsey dropped his voice "It's a bum steer"  
"Let's go over who we saw" suggested Makepeace determinedly  
Dempsey took a drag of his cigar and a guy dressed in an open bomber jacket sporting a T shirt with "Nah he arrived late" Dempsey recalled "but carrying a sports holdall"  
"Which he isn't taking home" Makepeace observed  
"So why pitch up late with a bag of kit and not play and leave it behind?" Dempsey questioned  
"Unless the bag didn't contain kit" Makepeace propositioned  
Dempsey sniffed the air, threw his cigar onto the ground and with authority told Harry "It's a bomb Makepeace"  
"Now I didn't mean you to take such a wild jump Lieutenant"  
"Trust me Makepeace the nose knows" Dempsey tapped his nose as he moved forward to follow the guy in his 30s wearing the T Shirt.  
"Your nose Dempsey" Harry protested  
but Dempsey cut her off "Sergeant I know now stop arguing and help me"  
With a degree of reluctance, aware that she had started the observations that Dempsey had sprung from, Harry jogged after Dempsey as he tapped the suspect on the shoulder and twisted his arm behind his back up against the wall.  
"We think you left your bag behind" Makepeace told the suspect  
"And so we're going to take you back inside to get it" the lieutenant continued pushing his captive back towards the door, they made it inside as the owner approached with keys.  
"Mr Tailor" the prisoner addressed the owner  
"Mr Tailor" Dempsey repeated "seems our friend here left his bag behind"  
"He can get it tomorrow" Mr Tailor agitated "only we all need to leaving here right now"  
Harry stepped forward "Why? What's the great rush?" she asked "anyone would think you were running away from a bomb"  
The two suspects looked at each other with panic stricken faces "I told you the nose knows" Dempsey triumphed as his eyes scanned the place

Harry placed her gun to Mr Tailors head "Now let's go and find your friends bag shall we" she suggested with intent  
"No" the other guy protested  
"Shut up Brian" Mr Tailor hissed  
"We need to get away fast" Brian protested, he looked at Harry "you want to live don't you? It's got plutonium in- we need to get a long way away"  
Dempsey latched on to the shoe exchange area and the sports holdall brazenly sitting on the counter, he pushed his man over towards it "Brian if you want to live you'd better know how to disarm it"  
Mr Tailor laughed well if we all die at least it will make this government give more power back to the rightful people in South Africa, we'll be famous martyrs Brian" Then seeing that Brian had no interest in martyrdom Tailor took a fast jab at Brian's head, reeling him sideways, his head crunching against a pillar and knocking him temporarily unconscious .

Dempsey looked at the bag, pulled the zip back and saw the timer beeping on 9 minutes. Dempsey took a retaliatory punch at Tailor, knocking him to the floor then kicking him in the guts "You can die for all I care" Dempsey said as his punch on the chin proved far too much agony for the rather pathetic owner.  
Harry was slapping Brain trying to rouse him ineffectively, Dempsey grabbed some bottles of coke and poured them over the unconscious bomber who spluttered and Dempsey yanked him to his feet "Tell me what we need" Dempsey said  
Brain looked - 7 minutes were remaining "A screw driver and pliers"  
Both Dempsey and Makepeace scanned the place; it was Harry who spotted a maintenance box in the far corner. She ran for it.  
Dempsey looked at Brains trembling hands "We can do this he reassured him, take a deep breath and tell me where we start"

Harry watched, her own heart in her mouth, she gasped when the starter the two were easing out became jammed. Dempsey frowned at her "It's ok Brian" he repeated "what do you want me to do now?"  
Brian asked him to lever the mechanism forward as his jittery hand pulled and the minute counter dropped to 2. I took three goes of levering and pulling and the starter motor was out.  
" It's just the wire now" Brian whispered and then the counter hit 1 and he froze  
"Let's do it" Dempsey picked up the pliers "which one do I cut?" Brian just stared "Which one partner?" Dempsey encouraged  
"The blue one" Brian finally struggled to mouth  
Dempsey cut it, the red numbers switched off and Makepeace let out an involuntary cry which was masked by an enormous kerfuffle of twenty armed gunmen all in white protective gear bursting in whilst the sound of sirens and helicopters filled the air outside.

Spikings, Chas, George Robinson and Skinner (the professional bowler) all joined them "It's a nuclear bomb" Spikings warned as soon as he saw his officers.  
"Correction Sir" Harry stood "It was – Dempsey disarmed it" she informed him rather proudly and then turned to look directly at Dempsey. She smiled at sweat beads that hung on his forehead, watched him as his arm wiped his own brow and then she noticed it! His trousers! Good god she must stop looking there.


End file.
